Profile of the South Carolina Primary Voters

Based on questionnaires filled out by Republican voters across the state as they exited the polls. Democrats will vote on Saturday, Jan. 26.Full South Carolina primary results

The Republicans

Total

McCain

Huckabee

Thompson

Romney

Paul

100%

Results as of 10 p.m. Saturday

33

30

16

15

4

Sex

McCain

Huckabee

Thompson

Romney

Paul

51%

Male

32

28

18

15

5

49%

Female

34

33

13

14

2

Age

McCain

Huckabee

Thompson

Romney

Paul

10%

18-29 years old

28

35

15

12

7

23%

30-44

23

37

21

12

3

32%

45-59

32

29

16

16

5

35%

60 and older

42

27

12

16

2

Education

McCain

Huckabee

Thompson

Romney

Paul

50%

No college degree

32

34

16

12

4

50%

College graduate

34

28

15

18

3

Income

McCain

Huckabee

Thompson

Romney

Paul

28%

Less than $50,000

33

36

11

11

6

28%

$50,000-$75,000

32

30

19

13

3

17%

$75,000-$100,000

33

31

14

18

2

18%

$100,000-$150,000

33

29

18

16

2

5%

$150,000-$200,000

31

20

20

25

1

5%

More than $200,000

38

19

13

24

0

Family's financial situation

McCain

Huckabee

Thompson

Romney

Paul

23%

Getting ahead financially

29

32

19

15

2

66%

Holding steady

35

30

15

15

3

11%

Falling behind

29

37

12

13

7

Political philosophy

McCain

Huckabee

Thompson

Romney

Paul

2%

Very liberal

--

--

--

--

--

5%

Somewhat liberal

49

16

15

11

8

24%

Moderate

51

21

8

11

5

34%

Somewhat conservative

32

30

15

17

3

34%

Very conservative

19

41

22

16

2

Decided whom to support

McCain

Huckabee

Thompson

Romney

Paul

18%

Today

30

33

15

17

2

16%

Within three days of primary

35

29

22

11

2

13%

In the last week

37

26

18

14

3

26%

In the last month

32

39

12

12

3

26%

Before that

33

25

15

18

6

Issues vs. personality: What matters more

McCain

Huckabee

Thompson

Romney

Paul

51%

Candidate's positions on the issue

24

34

22

11

6

46%

Candidate's leadership/personal qualities

44

27

8

18

1

Issue that matters most

McCain

Huckabee

Thompson

Romney

Paul

26%

Immigration

24

33

21

16

4

16%

War in Iraq

52

24

11

7

3

40%

Economy

32

32

12

17

5

15%

Terrorism

33

30

21

13

1

Candidate quality that matters most

McCain

Huckabee

Thompson

Romney

Paul

26%

Says what he believes

34

31

21

7

6

43%

Shares my values

14

48

20

12

4

23%

Has the right experience

67

2

4

23

1

6%

Has the best chance to win in November

42

15

6

33

--

Believes abortion should be

McCain

Huckabee

Thompson

Romney

Paul

9%

Legal in all cases

45

20

14

15

3

19%

Legal in most cases

50

11

9

20

6

43%

Illegal in most cases

31

32

17

15

3

28%

Illegal in all cases

21

47

18

9

3

Feeling about the Bush administration

McCain

Huckabee

Thompson

Romney

Paul

17%

Enthusiastic

34

28

18

18

1

52%

Satisfied, but not enthusiastic

30

35

17

14

2

25%

Dissatisfied, but not angry

38

29

13

14

6

5%

Angry

44

15

6

12

22

On taxes, higher priority should be

McCain

Huckabee

Thompson

Romney

Paul

48%

Cutting taxes

28

33

19

14

3

49%

Reducing the budget deficit

39

29

13

15

3

Most illegal immigrants working in the U.S. should be

McCain

Huckabee

Thompson

Romney

Paul

28%

Offered a chance to apply for citizenship

44

31

8

12

2

19%

Allowed to stay as temporary workers

37

23

17

17

3

52%

Deported to the country they came from

26

34

19

15

4

Matters that candidate shares religious beliefs

McCain

Huckabee

Thompson

Romney

Paul

38%

A great deal

29

50

12

7

1

32%

Somewhat

28

29

21

16

4

16%

Not much

45

12

15

21

5

14%

Not at all

44

8

12

26

6

Would describe self as

McCain

Huckabee

Thompson

Romney

Paul

60%

Born-again or evangelical Christian

27

43

15

11

2

40%

Not born-again or evangelical

43

14

16

20

4

55%

White born-again or evangelical Christian

27

43

15

11

2

Independents

McCain

Huckabee

Thompson

Romney

Paul

18%

Not affiliated with either party

42

25

11

12

9

Military experience

McCain

Huckabee

Thompson

Romney

Paul

25%

Served in the United States military

36

29

14

17

3

The South Carolina exit poll was based on questionnaires completed by voters on Saturday as they left primary election locations throughout the state. The poll was conducted by Edison Media Research of Somerville, N.J., and Mitofsky International of New York City for the National Election Pool, which consists of ABC News, The Associated Press, CBS News, CNN, Fox News and NBC News. The results are based on 1,655 Republican primary voters at 35 randomly selected polling places, interviewed as they were exiting each site. In theory, in 19 cases out of 20, the results from such polls should differ by no more than plus or minus four percentage points from what would have been obtained by seeking to interview all voters who participated in South Carolina�s Republican primary. Results based on smaller sub-groups, such as views of backers of a particular candidate, have a larger potential sampling error. In addition to sampling error, the practical difficulties of conducting any survey of voter opinion on election day, like the reluctance of some voters to take time to fill out the questionnaire, may introduce other sources of error into the poll. Michael R. Kagay of Princeton, N.J., assisted in the polling analysis.